Star Trek: Erin

Part 26: The Dual Signal

     I didn't get to be on the bridge often. When I did though, I savoured every minute. It felt like freedom. A taste of what was to come.

     By the way, punching Ensign Chekov was high on my to do list. Since the senior staff had an alarming tendency to all beam down to hostile planets and Chekov was an officer on the bridge, he was five officers away from command. If something happened to five people, this ensign would be in charge of the Enterprise. God, that stung.

     Still, my jealously of Chekov wasn't enough to quell my love of being on the bridge.

     Anyway, I was performing some of my weapons specialist duties—I love this job—which involved answering the engineer on duty's questions about the new model of photon torpedoes. I was also half-listening to Sulu giving orders from the chair, since Kirk and Spock were at dinner or something.

     Which was the moment something happened.

     "Sir, incoming." The officer at comms listened for a moment. "Research station is sending a distress signal. Assistance requested, level one medical emergency. No response, and the old terraforming field is still in place."

     Bad news for us. Can't scan for life signs and all that, and we'll need to beam onto the planet outside it. Hopefully they've reduced it to just the buildings. Don't need that power drain, especially in these reaches of space.

     God, and I go after Glasgow for spewing exposition.

     "Where is the signal coming from?"

     A diagram of the Biflora star system was on the view screen. Mostly rocky planets, except for the third and fourth planets. They shared an orbit and had terraformed patches along their equators. Pretty cool. "Sir, there are two signals. One from the research station on Biflora III and one from Biflora IV. The origin is likely Biflora IV, with ninety-percent certainty."

     Sulu thought for a moment before interrupting the captain's little dinner party to explain the situation. He'd probably realized Kirk would want to throw himself and as many of his senior staff into danger as possible. I waited while Sulu relayed the information, half-listening to the engineer talking about his childhood on Earth. The response was exactly what I'd expected.

     "Mr. Spock and I will take a team to Biflora IV. Send a landing party to Biflora III. Kirk out."

     Pretty sure there's a regulation against Kirk and the first officer going, but at least the other bit makes sense. Ten percent is just too big a chance to ignore, although the real focus will be Biflora IV. They'll send some officers to the other one, maybe even—oh. I saw a chance shining right in front of me. I'm taking it. I excused myself from the engineer, who had stopped asking proper questions and started into 'what colour tribble should I get my niece?' territory anyway. "Lieutenant, a weapons specialist may be needed on the landing party."

     "True. See yourself to the transporter room in ten minutes. Communications will notify your superior officer to excuse you from your duties."

     It... worked? I blinked twice, squashed down a grin, said, "Thank you, sir," a bit too quickly, and scooted my ass to the turbolift.

     I had gathered the stuff I needed and was moving towards the transporter room when my communicator buzzed. "Congrats on your assignment, Cobos. I'd like a word before you leave."

     Can't it wait? "Thanks, but I'm expected in—"

     "You can spare two minutes."